Rack for refrigerator cars



Jan. 20, 1942. v c. s. CARLSON 2,270,506

RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Aug. 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1942- c. s. CARLSON RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Aug. 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll ||||||II Fl Patented Jan. 20, 1942 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE RACK FOR, REFRIGERATOR. CARS Carl S. Carlson, St. Paul, Minn. Application August 1, 1940, Serial No. 349,132

5 Claims.

My invention relates to storage racks in general and more particularly to a collapsible, section'al rack adapted primarily for use in railway refrigerator cars for transporting meat and other commodities.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide asimple, highly efiicient and inexpensive rack the use of which in vertical tiers in a car is such that, for example, a maximum quantity of meat may be put in a car in such manner that regardless of time or distance of shipments the meat arrives at its destination in good condition and little or no loss of weight or reduction of quality from causes well known in shipping circles and particularly to packers.

Another object is to provide for each car a number or set of racks easily set up for receiving and retaining bulk merchandise, such racks after any shipment has been completed being readily collapsed and stored in a minimum space. For example, after a car-load of meat has been transported to a certain destination the racks may be collapsed and placed in a relatively small space in the car during return trip, if such car is returned empty. However, in some instances other commodities such as fresh fruit and vegetables could readily be carried by the same racks. Although these racks are designed primarily for refrigerator cars they are adaptable for use in warehouses or storag plants.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator car, taken on a level just below the roof and exposing several tiers of my improved carrier racks in operative position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional elevation ofthe car shown in Fig. 1 with the roof restored,

the section being as on line 2-4 in Fig. 1, look-- ing toward the end of the car from its door opening.

Fig; 3 is atop view of my improved rack opened and ready for use and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the rack.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged scale, sectional elevation as on line 5-5 in Fig. 4 looking toward an end of the upright spacer frame F.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, as at lower left corner of Fig. 3, the sectionassumed to be as on line 66 of Fig. 5 and showing certain means for holding the upright panels at right angles to the rack base.

Fig. '1 is a front edge view of a rack, folded for storage.

Fig. 8 is anv en ar edv s le sectional. detail as on line 8-8 in Fig. 3 and showing a modification comprising means for holding the fo-ldable panels in either upright or lowered positions, selectively.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, like characters designating corresponding parts in the several views, in Figs. 1 and 2, l designates a refrigerator car, of which 2 is the floor, 3- the ice chamber extending transversely across an end of the car and separated from the interior of the car by a wall l having louvers 5 providing for circulation of cooled air through the car. 6 is a false, raised floor which may be sectional and made of parallel spaced boards on cleats and extends throughout the entire length of the interior of the car, thus providing cold air circulation at floor level. I are the usual door openings. This construction of refrigerator cars is general and well known in the art but herein specified to more clearly disclose the utility of my improved rack means.

My rack is provided in sets for any refrigerator car, is built up in vertical tiers and extending in abutting tiers toward the doors of the car, starting from wall 4. Refrigerator cars generally are about 8 feet 2 inches wide interiorly and my foldable rack units are made each of a length not less than 8 feet, the width of each rack being optional but preferably about 32 inches.

The preferred construction of the rack is illustrated in Fig. 3-8 inclusive.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the dotted lines 8 designate the opposite inside wall surfaces of a refrigerator car.

A rack unit consisting of a main, elongated quadrangular floor made of a number of spaced parallel flat bars 9 (preferably 1 by 4" wood bars) said floor comprising two abutting and hingedly connected sections, secured to opposite hinge plates HIP of a hinge member which includes two end hinge bearings IllB retaining a hinge rod ll parallel to and over the abutting ends of bars 9 when the rack is open.

The outer ends of the two sets of bars 9 are connected by and secured to a corresponding end hinge plate I2P, each with end bearings IZB rotatably retaining a hing bar l3 (see Fig. 5 and Fig. 6) parallel to and over the bars 9. On each shaft I ll3 is fixed a normally upright rectangular frame designated F as a whole and made preferably of sheet metal and angle iron or T-irons as will now be described.

In Fig. 5 particularly one of said support frames is shown as consisting of a rectangular metalv plate F2 the lower edge part of which is rolled; to form a number of bearings F3 in which is retained" the bar or shaft H or l3 to which it is fixed by key or like means. The upper part of plate F2 comprises a number of parallel arms F4 suitably reenforced as by means of longitudinal strengthening ridges or ribs F5. The top edge of each frame may comprise a T-iron bar F6 (as shown) an angle iron or channel iron, the outer flange face of which is exposed upwardly and in horizontal plane about 16" above the bars 9 when the said spacer frames F are erect. Said horizontally registering top faces of the spacer frames provide rests for the next higher unit, etc., until a tier of such units may be built up from the floor to the roof of a car or as much of said space as desired. Fig. 2 shows a vertical tier of 4 racks.

Each spacer frame may be folded down upon the adjacent top part of the rack base, i. e. the end spacers are adapted to swing inwardly and the center spacer member F may be swung down to the right (see Figs. 4 and 7). After laying the three spacer frames down as described, one half-section of the device may be folded over onto the other with the base or floor parts in parallelism and the spacer frames F lying between them, central transverse shaft ll comprising the fulcrum. Obviously the device thus folded up as shown in Fig. 7 is reduced to minimum size for storage purposes.

When used in a refrigerator car the first tier of racks is spaced forward of the ice-chamber wall 4 preferably by a portable wooden rectangular frame comprising a tier of vertically spaced parallel boards l4 connected by a number of vertically disposed blocks l to bear against the wall 4 and the boards l4 thus space the first tier of my racks away from the wall 4 and cooled air thus can circulate freely through the racks and th merchandise carried by them.

In Fig. 2 the ends of a number of beef carcass sections, l6, are shown stored for shipment on four shelves formed by sets of my racks.

Tiers of racks are assembled or put in place, beginning on the floor 6, against the frame l4--l 5. As each rack is set up it is loaded with meat cuts l6, laid on the bars 9, up to a height about level with the tops of the spacer frames, then the next higher rack placed atop thereof until 2. tier of loaded racks has been built up to any desired height. Then another tier is built up across the car and abutting the first tier of racks, and loaded individually as described, etc., etc., to the car doors. Thus any number of tiers are built up and loaded, longitudinally of the car, the bases of any layer of racks comprising a continuous floor on a common plane.

The racks being preferably of uniform width but meat cuts varying in size it is obvious that some cuts will not take up all the space comprising the width of a rack but other, longer cuts of meats may be laid to overlap from one rack to the other to compensate therefor. The height or space between rack floors is arbitrary but a clear space of about 15" has been found practical to carry, for example beef cuts, as shown. Likewise pork such as in carload shipments of loose square cut chucks, loin-ribs, bellies, fresh pork loin shoulders etc., can be loaded on these racks so that they carry only their individual weight, resulting in less shrinkage in transit and arrival at destination in as good condition as when loaded.

When several tiers have thus been built up and loaded as far as desired toward the center of th car, it is necessary that the ends of meat in the last tier come about even with the front edges of racks. To prevent meat from falling out, shifting or moving while the car is in motion, fiat metal strips I! may be nailed to the side walls of the car and extended across the car and locked together as at llL on a level between the adjacent pairs of floors 9 to hold the meat in place, thus eliminating bruised or marred surfaces.

Referring particularly to shipments of packers products it will be readily seen that in the use of this device meat is carried in single layers as in the case of ribs or loins, or more layers as in the case of hams, etc., including smaller cuts, free circulation of cooled air is attained in any size shipment.

Compression of meat and resulting losses, whether in weight or deterioration of it, is greatly reduced or eliminated entirely, as compared to present methods of shipping this class of merchandise.

To provide for rapidly setting up these improved racks I have provided means for quickly erecting and holding the pivoted uprights in their respective positions but such means may be varied considerably in detail without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention.

The first step in placing a rack is of course to open it up from folded condition, so that its base or floor parts 9 are in a common plane, the hinge bars lll3 being over the base. After placing it crosswise of the car, its ends parallel to and adjacent the side walls of the car, the spacer frames are next swung up to vertical position. An unobstructive device to hold each frame upright comprises an L,-shaped lock member IS the lower horizontal part of which is pivotally retained in a bearing [9 while its other arm is free to swing upwardly (in vertical plane) to frictionally engage and be retained by a spring metal catch 20 fixed on the tiltable frame in such position as to be engaged only when said frame is upright or at right angles to the base (see Figs. 6 and 5). This provides sufficient solidity to the upright frame as long as the rack is in use for storage purposes, but it is obvious that when successive layers are built up, the weight on each upright provides further stability. The L-shaped member is is of course easily disconnected from its frame holding position to lie down fiat upon the base and allow the spacer frame to be folded down too.

In Fig. 8 a modified form of spacer frame holding means is shown. The pivot shaft II or l3 keyed to the spacer frame is provided, in an exposed part (as between two bars 9) with two inward indentations 2| at right angles to each other. 22 is a bracket fixed to and between adjacent bars 9 and having a bore opening upwardly and containing a projecting, tapered and reciprocable pin 23 pressed upward yieldably by a coil spring 24 so that the tip of pin 23 frictionally engages in either indentation 2| and thus the frame F is held in either the upright or folded position and the frame itself is easily moved from one position to the other by exerting enough pressure in either direction at its outer part to press the pin out of contact until the frame and shaft are again in position for the pin to be pressed outwardly and engage in either indentation. Other mechanical equivalents of these frame holding means may be employed but in any instance they must be of such construction as to be unobstructive and cause no damage to meat, the wrappings thereof, or any other objects stored on the rack.

The use of my rack and its preferred construction have now been quite fully disclosed. It is obvious that as each rack is set up merchandise of almost any description can be placed on its base to completely fill in between the uprights and to a height not exceeding the upper level of the uprights. When so desired, however, the rack can be set up with the upright frames extending downwardly to thus double the vertical space between two floor or base parts 9. This for the purpose of accommodating larger bulk packages or items, and can be done because the upright frames should be so spaced as to abut each other when so inverted. The most efficient set up of this device is as described with the hinged uprights extending up from the base in the successive vertical build-up of each tier.

My rack means have continuous utility in some instances for example; a shipment of meat may be made from a northern packing house to a southern destination, and upon return trip of the car, fresh, or packaged fruit, vegetables, etc., may be shipped back to the northern terminal.

Modifications in construction, material, etc., may be embodied without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention as herein described and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a carrier rack, a main frame comprising a pair of elongated quadrangular base sections pivotally connected and abutted at adjoining end parts when open and the sections in common horizontal plane, pivotally mounted quadrangular spacer frames, one at each end of the rack and one on the pivot connecting the abutting main frame ends, all said spacer frames being disposed in transverse relation to the main frame, and adapted to be alternately folded down upon the adjacent upper faces of the main frame and raised to position at right angles to the open main frame, the said pivot connecting the abutting ends of the main frame being over said abutting edges to permit folding of either main frame section over the other section and inclose between them said spacer frames, the top edges of the raised secondary frames adapted to support a superposed rack.

2. The structure specified in claim 1, in which said main frame sections comprise each a series of spaced parallel bars extending in common plane and longitudinally of the frame, the transverse end parts of said bars connected to the hinge plates of the respective spacer frames.

3. The structure specified in claim 1, in which said main frame sections comprise each a series of spaced parallel bars extending in common plane and longitudinally of the frame, the transverse end parts of said bars connected to hinge plates of the respective spacer frames, said latter frames comprising each a rectangular member with one longer edge pivotally mounted transversely to and over the main frame and its other, free edge comprising in part a flange face exposed in horizontal plane at a predetermined height over the main frame when the spacer frame is positioned in upright plane on the main frame.

4. A collapsible storage rack comprising a pair of elongated quadrangular main frame members pivotally connected and abutted at adjacent short edges and foldable one over the other, secondary, quadrangular frames pivotally mounted transversely of the main frame, one on the pivot connecting the two main frame sections and one likewise mounted transversely at the outer end of each main section, said secondary frames adapted selectively to lie between the folded main frame members or raised and held in vertical plane over the opend main frame, and means on the main frame adjustable to retain the said secondary frames in upright position to support a superposed rack.

5. The structure specified in claim 4 in which said latter means comprises an L-shaped lock member with one arm pivotally retained in the main frame part adjacent the secondary frame pivot, the other arm of said member adapted to swing in a plane in parallelism with the upright secondary frame and means on the latter for removable engagement of said latter arm.

CARL S. CARLSON. 

